The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-05
OLD LANDMARKS TO FALL
BUILDINGS THAT HAVE STOOD FOR
NEARLY A CENTURY.

/ ~ $4,000 = la A Ia II - - q - ~
NEARLY A CENTURY.
The Old Masonic Hall and Little Cigar
Shop to be Torn Down to Make Room
for the New Whitfield Building
History and Traditions Of the Old
Houses-Events That Have Trans
PRED Under Their Roofs.
The work of removing two of the old
landmarks of Savannah will begin to-
morrow to make room for the whitfield"
building at the corner of Whitaker, Presi-
dent and State streets
The old weather-beaten and time
stained buildings which, for years, have
been an eye-sore to the neighborhood, were
! in their day ediaces of some pretensions,
and doubtless when they were erected they
attracted the attention of the good people
of the then little town
AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
The building on the southeast corner Of
President and Whitaker streets, little and
insignificant as it now looks, was once
well known public house or inn 1t was
built in 1895 by William Childs. who leased
the property from Solomon's Lodge of Free
ilieioOlLo' IL WIS at lIdb JLlD6 dLOuO OH tllc
outer edge of the town, and it is related that
it was favorite place with the gentlemen
of that day. The members of Solo
mons Lodge erode the goat
somewhere in the building. whether it
was in the little back parlor or up in the old
attic, the deponent saith not, but the records
of the lodge show that quite number of
prominent revolutionary heroes took their
degrees in the old building. Tradition says
that there were several marriages in the old
tavern from which sprung some of the best
known Georgia families The ancient build
ings glory departed long ago. and in the
memories of the living it has always been
a quaint old cigar shop.
THE OLD MASONIC HALL.
The history OF the old Masonic Hall is
quite interesting. The first movement look
| ing TO its erection was at a meeting of the
lodge held on March 49, 1856. Brother Da-
Costa took the initiatory by presenting, as
his contribution, the entire frame of house
Brother t. Anderson offered to raise the
same without expense, and Brother John
| Habersham contributed the shingles neces-
sary to cover the same.
The building was commenced in 1898,
| March 20, 1899 the brethren Of Solomon's
Lodge No. l. Hiram Lodge No. 2, and the
officers of the Grand Lodge, assembled for
the purpose OF laying the corner stone of the
first Masonic building erected within the
limits of this State The procession
was formed at the "Filature," and
marched to the site of the proposed
edifice, where, to quote from the records
Right Worshipful Master James Box
Young, Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge
of Georgia, by particular request of Solo
mons Lodge No. |, placed the foundation
stone in operative Masonic order, and depos-
tied the emblems of corn, wine and oil, and
various pieces of Federal money, in the hol-
low square in the centre of the same The
Grand Senior Warden then pronounced
an elegant Grafton suitable to the occa-
sion"
THE CORNER STONE LOST.
Search was made for this corner stone in
1858, but ''the stone which was lost could
not be found" 1t is probable, however,
that it will be brought to light in a few
days, and under the conditions of the origi-
nal sale made by the lodge will be restored
to its intended use"
The Masonic building made slow progress,
and in April, 1900, it was deter
mined to raise it seven feet from
the ground. From this action it may be in
feTred it was originally intended that the
building should only be two stories in
height, and the brick basement was an after
thought. Brother Simeon Wright on the
night above alluded to gave 80 toward
| raising tnc SClil CONSTRUCTION
was further delayed for the want of funds,
when, at last, in October, 1900, lottery
scheme was devised for the purpose of ac-
complishing the desired object, and it was
proposed to issue tickets to the number of
100, to the value of $40 each, re-
deenable alternately on the first and
18th of each month, until the redemption
was concluded, the tickets being numbered
from one to 100, and the lowest number to
take the precedence. BY this scheme the
requisite amount was realized, the work
pushed forward rapidly, and on Saturday
afternoon, Dec 5, 1901, the Masonic fra
ternity assembled to dedicate the first Ma
sonic Hall builtin Georgia, which was done
with the usual ceremonies.
VISITED BY LAFAYETTE.
Among the distinguished brethren who
presided in the old hall was Gen. Lafay-
cite, who visited the Lodge in 1926
Solomon's Lodge occupied the building for
fifty-seven years. In 1854 it was decided to
sell it, and it was purchased, together with
the adjoining lot, by the city for the pur-
pose OF erecting guard house. But this
intention was subsequently abandoned, and
the property was rcsold by the city to the
late John J. Kelly, who bequeathed it to
the Union Society.
The society has desired to improve the
property ever since it owned it, but was not
in condition to do so until recently A
portion of the legacy LETT by the late w.
Holland will be used i'll the erection of two
handsome stores facing on Whitaker street,
for which plans are now being prepared.
A contract has been given out for the
removal of the old buildings and excavat-
ing the cellars for the new structure The
buildings will be sold at auction tomorrow
by Mr. Dorsett, and the work of excavating
will commence on Tuesday
| Charleston FIaonenin1s